Second, the United States plans to deploy anti-missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic with NATO's support, arousing Russia's concerns that its strategic forces may be contained. The move has become another major point of contention between NATO and Russia, posing a threat to Europe's security.

In addition, NATO's military presence and political influence in Central Asia and the South Caucasus constitute challenges to Russia's traditional interests. Its intervention in Russia's internal affairs often leads to tensions in their relations. Given their diverse conflicting interests, NATO and Russia have a long way to go to eliminate the Cold War remnants in their relations.

Going global

With its huge military deployment across the Atlantic Ocean, NATO is reluctant and unable to give up its mission of safeguarding collective security. However, this Cold War-era mission is far from enough to sustain its development today. In a bid to enhance its relevance, NATO has set a series of new goals. It now operates beyond its Europe-Atlantic defense area and is involved in nontraditional security issues, a trend that is known as "globalization" in the international media.

NATO faces a host of challenges as it pursues globalization. Some members in "New Europe" are so suspicious of Russia that they tend to overestimate their security risks. As they count on NATO for its security guarantee, they are worried that globalization may distract NATO from its focus on collective security. Some "Old European" members with independent diplomatic views, however, are concerned that as it interferes in more international affairs, European members of NATO may run into serious policy disputes with the United States.

NATO will confront challenges as it tries to play a role in issues such as peacekeeping, nuclear non-proliferation, antiterrorism and natural disaster relief. To participate in these issues, it needs to respect the UN's authority, collaborate with other international organizations and develop a new capacity to address nontraditional security threats. NATO has extended its activities to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia. In Asia, it has forged special relations with Japan and South Korea. Since the move is outside NATO's mandate of safeguarding Europe, Asian countries are closely following its purpose and potential implications.

NATO took over the reins of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2003. It had intended to make its operations in Afghanistan a prelude to its global activities and offer stronger support to America's antiterrorism program. Unfortunately, NATO struggled to make progress in Afghanistan and soon found itself mired in a dilemma. The United States has called on its European allies to send more troops there, without getting many positive responses. It seems that NATO now has few options to improve Afghanistan's situation. This shows that the alliance's first concrete step toward globalization has ended in failure.

Internal inequities

Following the end of the Cold War, European integration made big strides, giving a boost to the international standing of the European Union (EU). As a result, the EU demanded a bigger say in NATO's decision making. As the EU reached out to the world, it found its multilateralism severely at odds with America's unilateral policy. The EU openly opposed America's war in Iraq, leading to a major divide within NATO rarely seen in its history.

In this context, adjusting the relationship between the United States and European NATO members and enhancing NATO's internal coherence became major goals of NATO's reforms. Given Europe's growing power, NATO decided to recognize the "European identity," allowing its European members to carry out operations independently without U.S. participation and to use NATO's facilities. It also issued a joint declaration with the EU in which it promised to support the latter's defense programs and work together with it on security affairs.

Recent years have seen notable improvement in political relations between the United States and Europe. The election of U.S. President Barack Obama, a popular figure among Europeans, has given new impetus to their relations. At the recent summit, France formally rejoined NATO's integrated military structure, which it left several decades ago, evidence of strengthened unity in the alliance.